This is made possible by the best public transportation system I have ever experienced. The Mass Transit Rail (MTR) system has so many qualities that distinguish it from mass transit and subway systems in the United States. First, one can purchase the Octopus card that can be used with the briefest scan at turnstiles to enter and exit MTR stations. The card can be recharged with additional value and is also accepted as a debit card at many stores in MTR stations and beyond. Once you have obtained your Octopus card you have a sense of security entering and exiting the system.
Second, stations are easy to find because there are signs everywhere directing you to the closest station. Once inside the station, transit maps and directions to subway platforms are also plentiful, strategically located, and well marked to make navigating and locating the correct subway very easy. At each platform a sign shows clearly where you are getting on, the direction you are going, and the stations you will pass.
Third, and this is where small things can make a huge difference, once you enter the subway car there is a lighted subway map showing where you are, the direction in which you are traveling (with an arrow), the next stop (blinking) and the connecting stations. This eliminates the common experience I have had numerous times when I get on a subway and am not sure if I am going in the right direction or where my final destination fits in the larger scheme of things.
Fourth, if all this weren’t enough, it is exceptionally fast and efficient. When you get off one subway car to transfer to another you typically simply have to walk across to the opposite track and there will either be a car waiting or, if you have to wait, the maximum wait time is 2 minutes. I have never waited more than 2 minutes for a connecting subway.
U.S. transportation planners could learn a lot from studying the MTR system.
Yes, the Octopus card can be "read" through your backpack.
One of our favorite things to do when we are on vacation is to take public transit. When we went to London a couple of years ago I asked Nick what he wanted to do there and his answer was simply, "Ride the subway." So we did. A lot. The other day we were even getting nostalgic for taking the bus.
ReplyDeleteHow does the MTR figure into development & real estate prices? Subways elsewhere have such a strong effect on prices (e.g proximity to the station = tens of thousands of dollars). The bus does not seem to have this effect, perhaps because bus lines are transitory. Or perhaps because the bus lacks romance.
Yes, from what I can tell there is a strong correlation between MTR proximity and real estate prices. And in HK the real estate prices are sky high everywhere. For that reason most people live at home until they marry. Rent is simply too high. It is cheaper in the "New Territories" but not by much.
ReplyDeleteMost of the real estate in closest proximity to the MTR stations is commercial...there is a high rise mall at almost every station. So commercial development impacts the cost and availability of housing in a big way here in HK. It is a major issue.
I highly recommend you take the MTR and stop Kowloon Bay - Telford Plaza. The Plaza has so many wonderful & dimensional design for your eyesight. The food menu is a variety of choices. The plaza is basically on the top of the MRT station.
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